We took a 2016 Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.0T for a full day road trip from our home in Aliso Viejo to Palm Springs. With highway, mountain, and side street driving, it was the ideal opportunity to test out the comfort, performance, and features of the Sonata. For a midsize sedan, it has plenty of passenger room, comfortable seating, and added storage compartments for accessories. It was a smooth drive in the mountains and the Sport 2.0T offers plenty of horsepower for the demands of mountain and highway driving.
Inside the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Sport, there is plenty of head room, leg room, and storage space. There are two cup holders in the center console and added cup holders on the doors. There is also a spot large enough to place my phone or other accessories that I like to have within reach. The 8-inch touchscreen system features smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A rearview camera and automatic headlights are standard on all trims as well. The seats are comfortable and the light color doesn’t get too hot in the desert sun.
Unfortunately, a navigation system doesn’t come standard in the Hyundai Sonata Sport so I needed to use my own navigation system on my phone. I was grateful for a convenient place to put my phone so I could easily see the screen, but I would have preferred a built-in system.
The drive to Palm Springs winds through the mountains and we noticed fantastic soundproofing as well as enhanced braking and stability in the turns and switchbacks. Even going up the mountain, there was minimal lag and it picked up speed with ease. The mountain driving really made the Hyundai Sonata Sport stand out.
In the city and during road-side stops, the standard backup camera came in handy and the blind spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert and lane change assist was a treat regardless of what type of road I was on. I also felt like the blind spots in the Sonata were minimal. I’m use to driving a van or SUV, which is much higher up so blind spots can be an issue when I’m in a car. The visibility in the Sonata was better than most other mid-size cars that I’ve driven.
The Sonata Sport did well on gas during our trip but I recently had a hybrid and it blew me away. I think for the Sonata to be a serious contender for me, I’d need to have the hybrid option.
Add a standard navigation system to the Sonata and show me to the hybrid and I think I’d be willing to make the switch from a van to a car.
